He is the founder of the LGBT organisation Association Shams, leader of the Tunisian Liberal Party, and was the first openly gay presidential candidate in the Arab world.
Following this announcement, an estimated 650 articles from 120 countries were written about him, and Baatour built a campaign team with 300 local activists.
[9] His political program included the repeal of Article 230, which outlaws homosexuality, from the Tunisian criminal code, as well as gender equality and the protection of the rights of minorities.
[10] However, despite collecting nearly double the 10,000 signatures required for his nomination eligibility, the election authority rejected his candidacy,[11] citing the sexual abuse case against him from 2013.
[16] In 2018, three other LGBT groups in Tunisia, Mawjoudin, Damj and Chouf, released a common declaration asking for the boycott of Shams.